Committees

The Campus Y is devoted to its mission: the pursuit of social justice through the cultivation of pluralism. The Campus Y is a collection of student-led committees, each with its own social justice lens and mission. Our committees offer their unique perspectives and skill sets while responding to the call from other groups to support parallel and aligned social justice causes on campus and in the larger community. Our model allows for many roles and many voices in social justice efforts. The makeup of our student movement is an embodiment of the complexity of the issues we confront, which are distinct but interlocked.

“The conscience of the university”The Campus Y is a student movement rooted in a history of advocating grassroots social change, at our university and in our wider society. Our honorific, “the conscience of the university,” is a responsibility earned by generations of Y students who championed justice and equality, even in unpopular circumstances. We strive to uphold this legacy, working alongside but also challenging university, government and private institutions. We honor our community as a place where change can happen, and a place that nurtures us with energy, knowledge, and a multiplicity of perspectives.

Our model of coalitionOur call to enact social justice takes many forms: direct service in marginalized communities, social entrepreneurship, education, advocacy and activism. In all that we do, Campus Y students model a self-reflective ethic of service, rooted in compassion and solidarity and grounded in a deep respect for diversity of thought and background. We understand ourselves as learners, endeavoring to grow and support others’ growth through our involvement.

How we build communityRelationships are at the core of who we are as a student movement: alliances between groups of students committed to social justice causes; partnerships between Campus Y committees and community-based organizations; and the friendship and camaraderie that embody strong and healthy community. For us, relationship-building is not a means to an end: it is itself an ethic of public service. Our relationships, therefore, are principled: honest, communicative, collaborative, and inclusive. We work with rather than for communities. We uphold dialogue and exchange as virtues at all levels of our social justice work.

Our belief in collective actionOur deep engagement in the Carolina community wills us to promote collective action among students to address the social ills of our historical moment. We believe that our commitment to designing creative solutions to social problems can and should be combined with activism that engages all our committees. Our model and our history empower us to create space for the mobilization of diverse alliances of students, alumni, faculty and other allies within and outside the university.

We, the Cabinet of the Campus Y, resolve to:

Uphold the Campus Y’s legacy of social justiceHonor the communities that enrich and strengthen our workModel a self-reflective ethic of serviceRespect diversity of thought and backgroundRecognize ourselves as students who are learning and growingEmbrace the multiplicity of our approaches to social justice workCommit to honest, communicative, horizontal, and inclusive relationshipsWork with rather than for communitiesBuild and promote Y-wide coalitions to respond to social injustice

180A E. Cameron Avenue
YMCA Building
University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill
CB #5115
Chapel Hill NC 27599-5115
CampusY@unc.edu
v: 919.962.2333
f: 919-962-6353
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